Illuminated sign and sign character



Sept. 20,1938. E, WA NE 2,130,752

ILLIMINATED SIGN AND SIGN CHARACTER}. v

' Filed Oct. 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 20, 1.938. E. WAGNER 2,130,752

ILLIMINATED SIGN AND SIGN CHARACTER File'd Oct. 22, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,130,752 IIJLUMINATED SIGN AND SIGN CHARACTER Erwin Wagner, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 22, 1935, Serial No. 46,143

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to the structure of an illuminated sign and sign character of the type disclosed in my co -pending application, Serial No. 21,550, filed May 13, 1935, which matured into 'Patent No. 2,048,040, issued July 21, 1936.

The sign comprises, briefly stated, a box-like receptacle of convenient form containing suitable lights for illuminating an opalescent panel or panels disposed on one or more sides of the receptacle. In front of the panel are provided supporting or mounting means, for example, horizontally disposed relatively thin wires or rods carrying the, sign characters in substantially locked position relative to the panel and in close proximity to it so that they appear in silhouette against the panel.

The sign character which is disclosed in the copending application may consist of a body having a uniformly finished face and side walls or flanges receding from the face to the back thereof and carrying notches for engagement with the supporting rods provided in front of the display panel.

-Details of the above intimated structure may be taken from the 'above noted patent which is understood to form part of the present specification in all respects where relevant informatory and descriptive matter is concerned. I will discuss in the following description principally those parts which differ from the previous structure.

The new sign character is distinguished from the previous disclosure by the provision of a bevel edge. The area of support is thereby widened and the appearance is for some purposes improved. As an additional advantage may be mentioned the fact that shadows are thereby reduced to a minimum which is of importance particularly in the case of signs of considerable size.

In one embodiment, I provide grooves or notches extending in parallel with the horizontally disposed supports.

Still another embodiment employs the provisions of notches or grooves in the bottom flanges of the characters together with notches in the side flanges near the top of the character.

In all these embodiments the flanges are so formed that the corresponding character is locked on the supports when in engagement therewith but this locking function is obtained by different and improved means as compared with the previous structure.

For certain purposes, it may be of advantage to employ a sign character'made in accordance with another object of the present invention, wherein I employ separate locking or wedging means for accomplishing the locking of the corresponding sign character to the supporting rods or signs. This means is made in the form of an insert.

The various objects and features outlined briefly above and also others not specifically mentioned will be brought out in the course of the following description which is rendered below with reference to the drawings. In these drawings:

Figure 1 represents the front view of a section of a display sign as contemplated herein;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 with the display panel in section;

Figure 3 represents a transverse cross section of a part of the sign character shown in Figure 1 and taken along line 33;

Figures 4 and 5 are a front View and a longitudinal section respectively of a modification;

Figures 6 and 7 are a front and a side view of an additional embodiment;

Figures 8 and 9 represent a front view and a section respectively of an embodiment wherein I have provided a groove along the bottom flange of the character together with notches in the side flanges near the top of the character; and

Figure 10 is a partial view of a sign character and of the support therefor wherein I use the previously noted separate locking or wedging means designed to lock the corresponding character in engagement with the supports.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, numeral II is the display panel and I2 and i3 are supporting rods which are disposed horizontally in front thereof. The sign character N shown in these drawings is made in one piece, for example, it may be cast from suitable material into the form shown which comprises an integral body having a suitably finished face l4 and marginal flanges forming a bevel around the face [4 and extending or receding toward the back thereof. The marginal flanges which are provided on the sides of the sign character are designated by the numerals l5 to 2!] and the marginal flanges which are provided at the top and at the bottom of the sign character are indicated by the numerals 2| and 22, respectively. In the flanges receding from the sides of the letter are the notches and 26 as shown in the drawings. It will be seen that these notches are tapered so as to grip the supporting rods or wires l2 and I3, respectively, and thus to lock the sign character in engagement with the supporting rods. A small space will therefore result at the end of each notch extending from the end to the corresponding wire or rod.

, When the sign character, for example, a letter such as shown in the drawings Figures 1, 2 and 3, is mounted on the supports I 2 and I3 and in locklng engagement therewith, it will assume such a position that the rearmost boundaries of the flanges are in close proximity to the face of the panel H. The small space that may be provided between the rearmost boundaries of the letter and the face of the panel is designated in Figure 2 by the numeral 21.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown a simple sign character or letter I designated by the reference numeral 30. This letter again has bevel flanges 3| and 32 and also bevel flanges 33 and 34, the latter extending from the top and from the bottom respectively of the character. However, instead of providing notches in the side flanges as in the previous embodiment, I provide grooves or notches in the top and in the bottom flanges 33 and 34 which extend in parallel with the supporting wires or rods 35 and 36. Referring particularly to the section shown in Figure 5, it will be seen that the sign character is securely wedged or locked between the supporting wires and is locked in engagement therewith. The mounting of a sign character of this type is accomplished by first inserting the supporting wire 36 in the corresponding notch or groove at the bottom of the character and then simply pushing the top of the sign character in the direction against the display panel until the wire 35 snaps into the groove or notch provided on the top flange 33.

Figures 6 and 7 show again a simple sign character "1 designated by the numeral 40, having a suitably finished face and bevel flanges 4l-42 and 43-44, respectively. However, in this particular embodiment, I have provided notches such as 45-46 and 41-48, which curve toward the ends of the sign character so as to provide a looking engagement with the supporting rods or wires 49 and 50, respectively. In this case, the letter is simply pushed in the direction of the display panel (after first aligning the notches approximately with the supporting rods), and the supporting rods will automatically be guided into the proper position due to the shape of the notches and will snap into the locking position as shown in Figure 7. In other words, the particular configuration of these notches provides a guide for the supporting rods in addition to serving as a lock for the sign character.

The embodiment shown in Figures 8 and 9 includes the provision on a sign character, for example, such as shown as I, having a notch or groove 56 in the bottom flange 51 together with curved notches 5859 in the side flanges and near the top of the letter which serve for guiding as well as for locking the letter in place. This letter is first placed by inserting the wire or supporting rod 60 into the bottom groove 56 and then snapping the wire or sup-porting rod 6| intothe notches 5859.

An examination of the drawings so far described will show that each embodiment includes the provision of notches placed and formed in such a manner that these notches will cause the locking of the letter or sign character on the supporting means.

In Figure 10 is shown a part of a sign character I designated by the reference numeral 10. It is understood, of course, that the letter "1 is shown in this, as well as in the previous ex amples, merely for convenience and not to indicate any limitation. Any sign, character, or letter, or combination thereof may be provided with the novel features shown. This particular sign character is again provided with bevel flanges such as H and 12. If desired the bottom of the character may be shaped differently, e. g., with a perpendicular flange. Grooves or notches are provided along the top and bottom flanges. This particular sign character may be inserted with its bottom flange (not shown) embracing the corresponding wire or rod in a similar manner to that shown in connection with the embodiments in Figures 4 and 8. However, whereas the previously described sign characters are slightly longer than the distance between the supporting rods, the instant embodiment shown in Figure 10 shows a letter or sign character which is slightly shorter than the distance between the supporting rods or approximates in length the distance between these rods. Therefore, the top edge of the flange 12 will lie just beneath or adjacent to the supporting rod or wire 14. In order to secure the attachment and the locking engagement of the letter, I have provided a separate locking member or wedge at the topof the letter comprising a fork-shaped portion |-5-'l6 and an extension TI. The latter is in sliding engagement with the groove 13 and the trough-like section which results from the forks l5l'6 embraces the wire or supporting rod 14. Thus, the letter or sign character is again securely locked inposition and may be removed individually and independently simply by removing the wedge 11 from engagement with the slot or notch 13 in the top bevel flange 12. If desired, the extension 1'! may be in the form of a dovetail fitting into a slot or groove of similar configuration. The forked portion may also be shaped differently, e. g., so as to grip and lock the wire or rod 14. Any suitable looking or wedging provision may be provided in connection with this embodiment either with respect to the extension 11 or to the forked portion IE-16. The locking member 11 may be used as shown, at the top of the letter or character, or it may be providedat the bottom thereof. It is also possible, of course, to use such a locking member at either end or at both ends of the letter or character.

Other embodiments and modifications will suggest themselves to those in the art. It is understood that any embodiment is to be considered my invention provided that it is covered by the scope of any or all of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a sign of the class described, the combination with a transparent panel and two spaced horizontal supporting members in front of said panel, of a character adapted to be mounted on said panel by means of said members, said character having a notch or groove adapted to engage oneof said members, and having another notch or groove adapted to engage the second member only when the character is forcibly pressed against the same, the said character having a cam surface over which said second member rides and is displaced responsive to such pressure to guide it into said groove.

2. In a sign of the class described, the combination with a transparent panel and two spaced horizontal supporting members in front of said panel, of a character adapted to be removably supported at opposite ends by means of said members,;respectively, said character having a recess into which one of said members enters when theicorresponding end .of the character is presented thereto and having a secondrecess into which the said second member is adapted to enter responsive to rotation of the character toward the panel and about the first one of said members as an axis, said character having an inclined surface operative to engage the said second member and displace the same sufficient to enable it to enter saidsecond recess.

ERWIN WAGNER. 

